Axios feat. VAAP in coverage of CLSEPA v. HHS
Trump plan cuts legal help for thousands of migrant kids
By Brittany Gibson, April 12, 2025.
“Tens of thousands of unaccompanied children who are in the U.S. illegally stand to lose legal help for their immigration hearings — and face being deported — because of a little-known Trump budget cut.
“Why it matters: The $367 million cut takes aim at the legal defense fund designed to help children and teens who've fled violence, lost their parents, or are victims of trafficking.
“Without lawyers it's extremely difficult for such youths — about 26,000 of them now get this legal aid — to show in court why they should be allowed to stay in the U.S.
“Those who can't prove their need for asylum are likely to be deported.
“Zoom in: The funding cut has alarmed children's advocates, who are accusing the Trump administration of trying to boost its deportation numbers by denying due process to asylum-seeking kids.
‘"If you're trying to make a show of a mass deportation, what easier way to hit your numbers ... than to push through a bunch of kids who cannot meaningfully defend themselves?" said Jill Martin Diaz, executive director of the Vermont Asylum Assistance Project, which provides lawyers and legal support to immigrants.”
Read the full story online: Read here.
Read about our litigation in CLESPA v. HHS: Read here.
